Errands
by Plagioclase
Summary: Gwen asks the boys to do her a little favor, and it may just end up being the most harrowing experience of their lives.


Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10.

"You want us to do what?!"

"There is no way we are doing that!"

"What?! Why not?!"

"Why do you think?"

"Can you imagine what would happen if we got caught doing something like that?"

"You're such babies! I ask you for one little favor and this is the response I get? And after all the times I've helped you guys."

Ben put his face in his hands, "Oh, no. Not the guilt card."

"Pfft, she can use it all she wants," Kevin said, "It ain't gonna work on me."

"I don't see why I should even have to resort to using it," Gwen snapped, putting her hands on her hips, "It's just one little favor. I have karate practice, and I need you guys to run an errand for me. What's the big deal?"

"The _big deal_, is that you want us, two teenage boys, to go into a public store during peak hours to buy—to buy…" Kevin trailed off, his face turning red.

"Tampons?" Gwen supplied unabashedly.

"Shh!" Ben and Kevin said together, making shushing motions with their hands.

"Not so loud," Ben whispered frantically.

Gwen rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Oh, for—how old are you two, anyways?!"

"Age is got nothin' to do with it," Kevin replied huffily, "We've got our reputations to think of."

"Not to mention our dignity," Ben added.

"So, what's the problem, then?" Gwen asked with a smirk.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny," Ben retorted.

"Yeah, a real laugh," Kevin added with sarcasm.

"Look guys, I know what a couple of immature twits you are. I wouldn't ask you to do this unless I absolutely needed you to. So, please, won't you do this for me? Just this one time?" Gwen pleaded.

"Ooh, alright fine," Ben said, shoulders hunched. "But just this once."

"Oh, thank you, Ben. I knew I could count on you," Gwen said, throwing her arms around Ben in a hug. Ben could feel the heat rising in his face.

"N-No, problem," Ben stuttered. Releasing him, Gwen smiled before turning to walk down the hall.

"Hey, what about me?!" Kevin shouted.

"Oh, are you going now, too?" Gwen asked, cocking an elegant eyebrow.

"W-Well, someone's got to take care of pee-wee, here," Kevin answered, jabbing his thumb at Ben.

"Hey!" Ben protested.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Just try not to kill each other, please," Gwen said in exasperation. She embraced Kevin in a quick hug, then sent them on their way. "I'll meet you back here when my class is over," Gwen said, and then she was gone.

"Well," Ben said, turning to Kevin. "Let's get this over with."

XXXXXX

"Are we actually gonna do this?" Kevin asked, sounding miserable.

"Well, we said we would," Ben replied with an equally dejected voice, "and we've already been sitting here for thirty minutes. Gwen's class is gonna be over soon."

"We're gonna get caught, I know it."

"Maybe if we move fast enough, no one will see us," Ben offered.

"We still have to deal with the cashier," Kevin pointed out moodily.

"Not if we use those new automatic check-out stations."

Kevin sighed, "Alright, let's get this over with."

"That's the spirit," Ben said, patting Kevin on the shoulder.

Kevin grabbed Ben's wrist. "Don't—touch me," he said through gritted teeth.

Ben threw up his hands in surrender. "Alright, jeeze. No, need to be so touchy," Ben said with a smirk. Kevin let out a growl.

Getting out of the car, Ben and Kevin made their way through the parking lot. Once inside they took their time getting their bearings. "Okay, where do they even sell these things?" Kevin asked, looking around for some kind of sign.

"Let's ask someone," Ben said, beginning to walk towards one of the unoccupied retailers.

Kevin grabbed Ben's arm before he'd even made two steps. "Are you nuts?!"

"Well, how else are we gonna find 'em?!" Ben asked, yanking his arm out of Kevin's grasp.

"I don't know! Look around the store or something, but we are not asking someone for help!" Kevin practically shouted.

"Alright, alright, calm down," Ben said. "Just let me think for a minute." Walking a little farther into the store, Ben's eyes wander from one department to another, searching for any possible clues as to where the—uh—er—feminine products were kept. "There," he finally said, pointing towards the cosmetics aisles.

Kevin followed Ben's line of sight. "Perfect."

XXXXXX

"Is she still there?" Ben asked.

Kevin peered over the top of his magazine, "Yep."

"She's been there for, like, ten minutes! How long does it take to grab a box of tampons and leave?"

"Dunno, but it looks like she's on the move, now." Ben and Kevin watched as the plump, middle-aged woman rounded the end of the aisle and headed towards the front of the store.

They waited several seconds more before they finally discarded their magazines. Ben walked stealthily to the end of the aisle, pressing his back flat against the shelves as he peered around the corner to see if anyone else was coming. Seeing that the coast was clear, Ben prepared jump into action when his jacket snagged on the shelf, causing Ben to pull it off the wall. The entire rack of magazines falling to the floor with a crash.

"Dude, what're you doing?" came Kevin's annoyed voice from behind.

Ben immediately straightened up, fixing the back of his jacket where it gotten caught. "Oh, uh, sorry. Got a little caught up in the moment, I guess," Ben replied, scrambling to pick up the magazines before one of the store clerks got there. Grumbling, Kevin bent down to help.

Once they'd gotten them all back on the shelf, Ben and Kevin took a moment to admire their handiwork. "Not too bad, huh?" Ben asked.

"I don't think a single one of them is back where it went," Kevin replied flatly.

"Oh, well, let's just get Gwen's—er—feminine—products and get out of here."

"Sounds good to me," Kevin replied.

Squaring their shoulders and taking a deep breath, Ben and Kevin proceeded to walk briskly across the aisle. Once there a sort urgency took over as they scoured the shelves for the right brand. "What kind does she use again?" Kevin asked.

Ben reached into his pocket, pulling out a slip of paper Gwen had handed him when she first approached them with her request. Reading the name on the sheet, Ben looked up at the shelves. "This one I think," Ben replied, taking a box down from the shelf.

"Are you sure? I don't want to have to do this again," Kevin said.

"Yeah, it's the right one," Ben confirmed.

"Good, now let's get the heck out of heeeerrrreeee!" Kevin's voice must have gone up two octaves. Ben looked around at him to see what his problem was, but before he could even open his mouth to speak Kevin seized his arm, and practically drug him to the end of the aisle before throwing Ben around the corner.

"What're you—" Kevin clapped his hand over Ben's mouth before he could even finish his sentence. Kevin peered around the corner, and Ben leaned out too, in an effort to see what had spooked Kevin so badly. It only took a moment for Ben to realize what the problem was. In the magazine aisle, where Ben and Kevin had been conducting their stake out not five minutes prior, were Cash and JT.

"Oh, great," Ben whispered under his breath. "Did they see us?"

"No, so let's get out of here before they do," Kevin replied. Stepping back from the corner, Ben and Kevin proceeded to walk down the space between the ends of the aisles and the pharmacy, avoiding eye contact with everyone that they passed. Rounding another corner, they made their way down the deodorant aisle. Just as they reached the end of the aisle, and were about to make their final push towards the front of the store, they ran smack into JT and Cash, each sporting new magazines clutched tightly in their hands.

All four of them froze, just staring at each other. Then Cash and Jt's eyes fell on the box of tampons held loosely in Ben's hand. They looked back up, and for a moment they simply stared, before they finally burst out laughing.

"Hey, shut up!" Kevin shouted.

"I'm sorry, were you ladies out shopping?" Cash said between laughs.

"Yeah, we didn't realize it was your guys time of the month," JT added, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Why you little," Kevin growled, bearing his fists.

"Easy, Kevin," Ben said, trying to keep Cash and JT from getting their skulls beat in.

"You're not the boss of me, Tennyson," Kevin spat back.

"Whoa, cat fight in aisle twelve," Cash said, laughing even harder. By this time people were starting to gather around to see what all the commotion was.

"That's it!" Kevin roared. Ben just barely managed to get a hold of Kevin before lunged. Turning on their heels, Cash and JT ran for it, laughing as they went. "That's right you'd better run!"

Shrugging Ben off, Kevin stood up straight, adjusting the front of his shirt. "Well, I don't think that could have gone any worse," he said. "And what are you all looking at!" he shouted at all the other patrons who'd gathered to watch, sending them scurrying away into other parts of the store.

"Probably not," Ben conceded, "But at least anything else should be a cake walk compared to that."

Kevin glared at Ben for second before sighing. "Yeah, yeah, let's just go before they come back with a camera or something."

XXXXXX

Gwen sat on the floor in the hall by her locker. She had a book open in her lap, and her chin resting in one hand. She had been reading for awhile but her eyes were starting to get heavy. Just when she was sure she was going to nod off, two sets of footsteps coming down the hall caused her to look up. "There you are! My class has been over for an hour! What took you so long?"

"Never mind," Kevin replied moodily, thrusting the box at her.

"We hope we got them to you in time," Ben said, as Gwen accepted them, "We weren't sure how badly you needed them."

"Hmm," Gwen said, looking up from the box, "Oh, I didn't need them for me. A couple birds are nesting in my back yard, so I've been working on a little bird shelter for them. I read somewhere that tampons can make great nesting material." Gwen paused at the stares Ben and Kevin were giving her. "What?"

"You mean to say that you sent us on this insane errand just so you could have something to line a birdcage with?" Kevin asked.

"It's more of a birdhouse, actually," Gwen replied. Ben and Kevin looked at each other then back at Gwen. Before she could even ask what they were doing, Gwen found herself hoisted into the air, and being carried down the hall.

"Ben! Kevin! What do you think you're doing?! Put me down this instant!" Passing through a set of double doors, Gwen found herself hovering over the still surface of the school pool. "Guys, this seriously isn't funny!" They swung her once, twice, three times; then they let her go. Gwen screamed as she hit the water with a splash, spraying water everywhere.

Ben and Kevin watched as Gwen bobbed back to the surface, sputtering and gasping for air. Turning to Kevin, Ben asked, "So, wanna go get some smoothies?"

Kevin looked thoughtful for minute then shrugged, "Eh, why not."

Gwen watched as they walked out the doors and disappeared down the hall. "What's their problem?"

Author's note: Hope you enjoyed. As always, please review.


End file.
